Trying a 40 day water fast, does anyone have any experience?

[sehall]

hello bdp

I just let all my fellow practioners read your comment, in fact the whole clinic and we had such a good time laughing, and laughing, and laughing. But in all due respect to you, we understand why you would put up such a negative reply. From your first sentence it is clear that you have issues, but I am a positive person so I believe you will overcome that which you are not even aware of.

[Joeschmoe]

Is making fun of him being positive? Is posting his ignorance (perceived or not) around your office helping him get over his issues?

I sense that your reply to this was very defensive, but if you are really entirely sure of your own way of thinking then there should be no need to be.

I'd like to hear what you, as an expert, have actually studied in relation to fasting. Do you have any case studies? Do you have any science other than conjecture?

Do you have an explanation of those who find healing in fasting?

All views are welcome here, but yours will not be taken well if it is accompanied by jeering or harassing other people and their opinions that differ from yours. If you truly have some higher ground in the issue and some real knowledge of the subject i would not expect such a response.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by sehall

hello bdp

I just let all my fellow practioners read your comment, in fact the whole clinic and we had such a good time laughing, and laughing, and laughing. But in all due respect to you, we understand why you would put up such a negative reply. From your first sentence it is clear that you have issues, but I am a positive person so I believe you will overcome that which you are not even aware of.

Pretty unprofessional for a medical practitioner in my opinion.

Could your clinic, when it gets done laughing at us, provide me with the "jargon" you were talking about? Also, I will ask again, how is fasting any worse than the Standard American Diet, which consists of over processed, fast carbs and sugar?

[sehall]

It is quite amusing at how defensive and very negative these last two replies were. I've been told that this is how it might be on these forums. Had I never said what profession I was in, none of these very negative comments would have been made. It is said that those who are ignorant or who feel very badly about themselves are indeed very resentful and negative towards those who have done well. Enough said and enough time wasted. Good luck and I know that my advice was given with the best and most positive energy.

[93civicracer]

Haha calm down everyone. I think I'm capable of making my own choices based on what I've researched. And from what I've found, fasting seems to be far better than the American trash diet that I've been on since I was born.

But when you think about it, did humans have a choice back in the day in times of famine? And I've also researched and found some amazing stories of people who have overcome deadly illnesses by water fasting.

Personally, I don't trust the FDA and medicine companies 100%, but I'm no fool when it comes to serious stuff like mental illnesses, or something very serious. We sure as hell don't need all these cold medicines, before you know it the cold viruses will keep getting stronger and stronger to fight the antibiotics and eventually wipe us out. If you don't include my bipolar episode a year back, I haven't been to a doctor for any physical illness since I was 10years old, and I'm 17 now.

I'll bet if someone found some kind of all natural way to get rid of all illnesses, the FDA would shut them up real quick because they couldn't make any money. Hell, even if the FDA themselves came up with a super pill to get rid of any illness, it would probably cost like $1,000,000 or be disposed of because they couldn't make as much money.

[aussieNickuss]

Originally Posted by 93civicracer

fasting seems to be far better than the American trash diet that I've been on since I was born.

Is good food that hard to come by in America? Is your only choice to eat junk or fast?

[Joeschmoe]

It's not hard to come by. It's just a whole lot easier and sometimes cheaper to come by junk food. It's easy, cheap, and usually doesn't require cooking. You can get a hamburger for a dollar, while an avocado will run you about 3. The price of meat, dairy, and corn (for high fructose corn syrup), are artificially low due to government subsidies.

[ragtag]

I thought that when you were water fasting, you were supposed to do more or less nothing. Take a vacation, basically, and not go to school half the day and work the other half.

[93civicracer]

Yea, I've been eating a lot of fast food and junk since I was really young. It's much cheaper, tastes better, and trashes your body and system at the same time.

As for resting during a water fast, I don't have a choice but to go to school and work. How do you think my family makes rent? My mom, my younger brother, and I all contribute that's how we make it. I had absolutely no trouble during both my 3-day and 4-day water fasts. Well...one day I felt a little weak but no big deal I was still able to work without problems and I actually had to take my 30 minute break that day, something I rarely do now because I like getting off a little early so I can have more time for homework.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by sehall

It is quite amusing at how defensive and very negative these last two replies were. I've been told that this is how it might be on these forums. Had I never said what profession I was in, none of these very negative comments would have been made. It is said that those who are ignorant or who feel very badly about themselves are indeed very resentful and negative towards those who have done well. Enough said and enough time wasted. Good luck and I know that my advice was given with the best and most positive energy.

I originally asked you to expand on the stuff you deliberately left out, the "jargon". I don't understand why you would reveal you credentials without actually give out the medical information requested. It makes no sense.

This has nothing to do with whether or not you have "done well", its the fact that you say its bad for medical reasons, and then refuse to list those reasons, all the while acting like a total elitist douche throughout the entire thread.

Maybe the negativity was a result of your negativity put in?

Also, could you hit me up with that medical jargon you cant seem to provide? I have politely asked, and this would be the third time.

[Joeschmoe]

Lucas, It's not worth it. Sehall doesn't have the information, and won't give it to you. I'd be suprised if he/she worked in the medical field as anything more than a receptionist, I work with a lot of doctors and few are so elitist, defensive or negative. Most would give freely of any helpful information if they actually had it, without hiding behind their "credentials" or being so downright rude.

The really frustrating thing is hiding behind a wall of "positivity" while belittling others. I'd imagine sehall has a lot of work to do, as that kind of behavior is not indicative of someone who is truly confident in their expertise or selves.

[Technicolor Tim]

A forty day water fast puts tremendous stress on the body. Personally, I wouldn't do it. It's HARSH as hell.

There are pros and cons to almost everything in this world. While there are are health benefits to be derived from fasting, I also think there are some huge pitfalls, and if you look at the potential damage you could do to yourself by only consuming water for forty days I think you'd consider at least doing a shorter fast, or at the very least make sure the transition to the fast is not too abrubt so that the body at least has time to somewhat adapt. Also, I think medical supervision is an absolute must. It's actually a little scary to look at what can happen to people when they do this kind of stuff.

On another note, I think sehall's first post was well meaning. At least take the time to EXTENSIVELY research the potential harm you could do to yourself before subjecting your body to something like this. (And that goes for the Standard American Diet too; if people would only do some real research and learn what they're doing to themselves by eating that way, they would probably not eat that way for very long...)

Education is key, and it has never been easier to educate oneself than it is today.

[LoveFreedom]

hey 93civicracer, I am a great advocate of fasting and detoxing, but I found that our 'civilised' bodies are often too polluted for water fasting.

water fasting is tough on your liver as there is a great amount of toxins being thrown into your blood. Liver is your primary organ of detoxification (clearing the bllod from all toxins and polutants) and with the drug you are taking and the smoking (both introducing serious toxins into your system as well) you can seriously damage your liver.

I don't mean to scare you and be negative, but please address your smoking first (there is a lot of people that would be able to help you with that) and then try something less radical to start with like raw food diet, raw food/smoothies/juice and steamed vegies and baked potatoes. If you are living on junk food now, this type of diet would get you to loose weight and will be gentle enough detox for your liver to handle.

Please don't risk your long term wellbeing for short term gains. It's not worth it. Even if you think now that life ends after 40, in actual fact it improves and improves and improvess...and you want to keep your body healthy to enjoy it then.

[seanner689]

Just a quick warning (for some reason, I missed that you were bipolar)... my sister had an eating disorder and died at 22 from a lack of potassium. These people come on here and laugh at the medical professionals, and yet they would feel absolutely no personal responsibility if somebody ends up dead because of what they post. My sister was also bipolar, and her bipolar medication (Lithium) causes lower potassium levels as a side effect. Lack of nutrients, especially when combined with some medications, can be fatal, and yet there are so many idiots who professes to know better than medical professionals, to the point of belittling them. Anyways, I didn't look into your bipolar medication, but I just thought I'd add that you should make sure that there aren't similar side effects.

Oh yeah, I did create a website for my parents, http://www.marthamurray.ca, if anyone is interested.

Again, good luck.

[Barcs]

I'm really sorry about your loss. That has got to be difficult.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by seanner689

Just a quick warning (for some reason, I missed that you were bipolar)... my sister had an eating disorder and died at 22 from a lack of potassium. These people come on here and laugh at the medical professionals, and yet they would feel absolutely no personal responsibility if somebody ends up dead because of what they post. My sister was also bipolar, and her bipolar medication (Lithium) causes lower potassium levels as a side effect. Lack of nutrients, especially when combined with some medications, can be fatal, and yet there are so many idiots who professes to know better than medical professionals, to the point of belittling them. Anyways, I didn't look into your bipolar medication, but I just thought I'd add that you should make sure that there aren't similar side effects.

Oh yeah, I did create a website for my parents, http://www.marthamurray.ca, if anyone is interested.

Again, good luck.

I am really sorry for your loss, however, I don't believe that credentials are always what they are cut out to be. I respect everyones opinion on things, as long as they are being constructive and conducive. In fact the website you posted says your sister had a chronic potassium deficiency, was a nurse and then was prescribed lithium...which means that not everyone in the medical field knows everything. You even dedicated the site to the shortcomings of the Canadian medical system. In fact, adverse reactions to properly prescribed drugs is one of the top killers in America (I wonder if that is connected to the business side of the pharmaceutical industry?).

I don't believe the medical industry is the end all be all of wellness, and maybe that is a fault of mine. Not to mention that American culture focuses more on treating symptoms than preventative medicine, and well, I am just not sold. I personally don't think that I know more than them per se, but I do feel like I have a responsibility to myself to go about things in a conscious way and make choices for myself as I see fit. I do know that I would rest in much calmer peace dying from the choices I made, as opposed to handing that responsibility over to someone else. No one should make any decisions without the personal responsibility to back it up.

I don't take personal responsibility for other peoples actions, because I am not other people. If someone does things I did and dies, obviously it wasn't the right choice for them, and maybe they didn't weigh the decision as heavily as they should. People consistently want to shuffle the blame off onto others, be it videogames, the school system, rock music, etc, instead of looking at themselves.

Thats the real tragedy.

[seanner689]

Originally Posted by Lucas

I am really sorry for your loss, however, I don't believe that credentials are always what they are cut out to be. I respect everyones opinion on things, as long as they are being constructive and conducive. In fact the website you posted says your sister had a chronic potassium deficiency, was a nurse and then was prescribed lithium...which means that not everyone in the medical field knows everything. You even dedicated the site to the shortcomings of the Canadian medical system. In fact, adverse reactions to properly prescribed drugs is one of the top killers in America (I wonder if that is connected to the business side of the pharmaceutical industry?).

My sister's chronic potassium deficiency was one of her many issues she had due to her malnutrition. She was actually not a nurse, but going to school to become one. I obviously agree that everyone in any field doesn't know everything. I just wanted to make sure that the original poster looked into the side effects of the drug and felt confident that he wasn't doing anything dangerous.

Originally Posted by Lucas

I don't believe the medical industry is the end all be all of wellness, and maybe that is a fault of mine. Not to mention that American culture focuses more on treating symptoms than preventative medicine, and well, I am just not sold. I personally don't think that I know more than them per se, but I do feel like I have a responsibility to myself to go about things in a conscious way and make choices for myself as I see fit. I do know that I would rest in much calmer peace dying from the choices I made, as opposed to handing that responsibility over to someone else. No one should make any decisions without the personal responsibility to back it up.

If you want to do something ... go for it. I didn't say in my post that he should stop his fast, but since I have had personal experience with someone depleting their potassium levels due to malnutrition and taking bipolar medication that exaggerated the problem to a lethal level, I felt that I should at least mention it. I mean, consulting a physician before starting particular diet or exercise programs is widely recommended for many plans, and this is a pretty extreme plan ... but I wasn't even suggesting talking to a physician, I was just saying he should do his due diligence and be conscious of the only thing that he is putting into his body for a month.

I'm not saying don't take responsibility for your own life, but if your Doctor doesn't know you're fasting and you don't know the side effects of your drugs, then you have two people with incomplete information, which isn't ideal, IMO.

Sorry for the hijack.

[Joeschmoe]

No apologies needed. It's not a hijack. You have given better and more complete information about possible issues with fasting than the the poster who bragged of being "in the medical field." It is appreciated, and I am sorry for your loss.

[Restrikted]

If you want to really know what's involved with a 40 day fast, just research David Blaine's stunt called "Above the Below." He did a 44 day water fast in 2003 while suspended above a river in a plexiglass box. The New England Journal of Medicine documented this, but I think you need to be a subscriber or something to view it... Anyway, I think they said the refeeding was the most dangerous part of the stunt.

[Subscreet]

I can't believe how ridiculous this thread is. I know how much some of you believe in New Age medicine, but this may be seriously crossing the line. This is just irresponsible. The one voice of reason in this thread is ridiculed with your pathetic "positivity" circlejerking.

OP, I understand the benefits of fasting, but isn't forty days a bit excessive? First of all, don't you think this may be at least in part a manifestation of your mental illness? Also your whole "look at me I'm only 17!!" thing makes this seem like a bid for attention. Second, you're worried about "toxins" in your body, but you're smoking cigarettes without even an attempt at quitting as if that has no bearing in your health? That's ****ing ridiculous. Third, as previously stated, this will **** with your bipolar medication, possibly exacerbating the problem. Finally, what benefits will fasting have over simply switching to a healthy diet? At no point in the OP did you indicate any commitment to long term improvement, just this stupid stunt.

I honestly can't believe you people could consider yourselves so intelligent yet be this deluded. This is a seventeen year old with obvious mental problems and you're telling him his plan is just A-OK? Nothing wrong with being so paranoid about "TOXINS" from "the man" that you drink nothing but water for forty days, yet continue to smoke a pack a day and drink diet Dr. Pepper? How do you continue to justify the Dr. Pepper?

Feel free to disregard this and continue with the fast, OP. Remember even if you die sehall is still wrong because at least you're not negative like him, leading a toxin filled life with his "credentials" that mean nothing.

[bobo]

I´ve never heard of waterfast for so long, just the ordinary couple of days. It sounds like a health hazard though. You won´t get any vitmains, minerals and other essentials your body needs to function. and your body will go into a state of "starvation prevention" and start to take from your muscels, not your fat deposits. And your brain needs carbohydrates to function properly. You won´t be able to function in your life, work etc. The pounds you lost now are also mostly water contracted in you body, theres no way you can loose 10 pounds of fat during 3-5 days. consider another approach to your weightloss, do a water fast for 3 days once a month instead if you are convinsed about the health benefits of it. Good luck.

[Barcs]

I honestly can't believe you people could consider yourselves so intelligent yet be this deluded. This is a seventeen year old with obvious mental problems and you're telling him his plan is just A-OK?

If you even read the thread you would have seen that the majority of people were against him fasting in his condition. Please read before you make assumptions like "you're telling him his plan is just A-OK?" I can't remember anybody saying that without telling him to check with his doctor first or get rid of his dependency on nicotine/medication before attempting this. Fasting is not new age at all. People have been doing it since 3000 BC and still do today. If it's not for you, that's cool, but there's no need to come in here with an attitude like that. The one "voice of reason" did not provide 1 piece of scientific evidence to support his claims, dismissing it as "jargon that we wouldn't understand".

[ivsala]

In response to the querry of 93civicracer, I don't know if this will be of interest to you or not. I am on day 39 of a 40 day fast. I originally started on a ten day fast using the maple syrup,water, and lemon juice fast from some Master Cleanse I had tried several years back. I made twenty days on that one. After 4 days on this round, I was not into the taste, so I decided to just use water. In that ten days I went from 216 to 196 pounds. I felt so good I decided to go for 20, made it, and just decided to actually go for 40. I now weigh 167 lbs with one day to go. The only other thing I've had is about 6 grams of vitamin C powder a day with my water between day 10 to about day 20. I felt I didn't need this anymore and went to strickly water. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who is totally tired out by this regimen. Around day 20, I worked in the yard for about 8 hours without adverse effects. Any slumps I have had have been for 30 minutes or so, but that's about it. The only bother to me is that I am real regular. I have had movements the whole time up until these last 5 or 6 days. Don't know if I have cleansed so thoroughly, that there isn't anything left or what. I have taken epsom salt and water this evening to see if there is anything left, as I have an aversion to enemas, passing liquid without much color.

The toughest part is sitting with friends and family while they eat, especially in restaurants. I must say, though, that after awhile it seems almost natural and therefore eases the struggle of the mind over matter issues. I really feel amazingly better than I thought I would this far into such a radical fast. This may not be for everyone, but I can honestly say I would do again anytime I felt I had any kind of dehabilitating malady beginning, or attacking my health. All I can say, is that unless you feel things aren't going right in your body, I am livinb proof (at least to my self) that you won't starve to death or shrivel up and die, without eating for 40 days. Unless I die in my sleep tonight!!! Best of luck to you. PS....If curious....I'm 54.

[kundalini77]

Originally Posted by 93civicracer

I've been doing a whole lot of research on water fasting, and I recently went on a successful 3 day water fast with ease. 5'8" and weighing 210 pounds, I decided to do it mostly to lose weight and try to get down to 140-160 pounds, until I started doing extensive research on the health and detox benefits of a water fast. I really want to do it to lose weight and clean out my body at the same time. I lost over 10 pounds on my 3 day water fast. I wasn't even hungry at all either, I'm pretty sure I can handle a much longer fast.

I'm not going anorexic haha, I've been eating since the 3-day fast which ended about 5 days ago. My question is has anyone else done a long water fast? Would anyone recommend not doing it for weightloss?

I don't have any serious health problems. I am bipolar and am taking 1500 milligrams of Depakote (sp?) nightly and that's about it.

Just looking for some input or advice, anything I should watch out for, thanks in advance for any replies.

I know a little about fasting, though I have never done the 40 fast myself, I have guided (via internet) a friend through a 21 day water fast, followed by a 21 juice fast.

For this she is now back to complete health after suffering major tumors in her body.

I know several people that have done the whole 40 fasting, but am not in regular contact with them.

There is such a lot of fear involved in this area, is it so unwarranted.

I hope that you are healthy and that you have decided to undergo this approach to health.

Should you or anyone else finding this post need advise, support or anything that I am able to provided, please either post here or contact myself directly via email.

kundalini77@hotmail.com

Love Light and Service

Theosis

[michelle629]

my mother is at a wellness clinic due to cancer in her breast, lymph nodes and now her vertebrae. Fasting has been known to excrete harmful diseases from your body on water-fasting. Your body was made to automatically fight diseases or infections. Drinking water only allows your body to focus solely on detoxification. Note, she is under doctor and nursed supervision everyday. Around day 22 she needed to get an IV to get more fluids in her body. Around day 29 or 30 she starting throwing up the water so now she is drinking the juice from grapes and some water. This website is a great description of what she is experiencing and how powerful fasting is: Fasting
Good luck!

My mother said she could not have done with without God.
She also said that once you get passed day 3 the hunger pains go away.

As for the posts of the guy who wants to do this fast and says he is a chain smoker, this may be the time you should try quitting. Smoking COMPLETELY goes against fasting to begin with. You are putting toxins in your body. You would be going against the fast.

[Chap]

Simply desist, and realise that there are no short-cuts to success merely those to failure. Water-poisoning is a very probable but little known problem, normally relegated to those taking Ecstasy and those following faddish diets.

We all need water to function indeed 70% of your body consists of it, but this does not need to be replenished by that much on a daily basis. The most likely probability is that your brain shall start swelling. Remember when you are in pain, it is your body trying to tell you something.

If you wish to lose weight, there are plenty of tips to help you, but only those that revolve around the central axiom of good diet and daily exercise shall succeed. The rest shall lead to short term results or worse permanent and unpleasant side-effects.

The water detox 'solution' does sound very tempting, it shares connotations with all the good words like 'detox', 'purity' and 'replenishment', however it in fact deviates wildly from nature hence is most likely the work of a Charlatan.

[ginkgo]

Dr Fuhrman is an M.D. who has fasted thousands of people for health problems. When Dr Oz (Oprah's doctor) has someone that is very obese, he send them to Dr Fuhrman. He will never do Fasting on anyone for more than 50 days. This webpage on fasting has quotes about fasting by 19 different medical doctors.

You can check with your doctor but Dr Fuhrman says that you should not fast if you are taking any medications. If you can stop taking them, then you can do the fast. Fasting can have very bad interactions with drugs.

[ginkgo]

Originally Posted by 93civicracer

I've been doing a whole lot of research on water fasting, and I recently went on a successful 3 day water fast with ease.

Would anyone recommend not doing it for weight loss?

I don't have any serious health problems. I am bipolar and am taking 1500 milligrams of Depakote (sp?) nightly and that's about it.

Just looking for some input or advice, anything I should watch out for, thanks in advance for any replies.

See my post above. I forgot to put this in quotes. The site on Fuhrman has a 2 minute video on the cause of being overweight with an introduction by Dr Mehmet Oz (Oprah's doctor). The site above that with the quotes by 19 MDs has quotes from 3 different psychiatrists about fasting. All psychiatrists are medical doctors.

[Chap]

Regardless of what celebrity doctors say, this is a very bad idea, I encourage everyone even considering this to google water poisoning. If you wish to lose weight, nothing natural other than a good HEALTHY diet and exercise shall work in eliminating it. I know it is disappointing, especially when we are groomed and accustomed to instant and easy everything but this is how things work.

There shall always be tempting offers just as there shall always be cheats, it is better that you lose money than both that and your health, in order to prop up their bank balances. Look throughout the annals of history, especially celebrity history, all sorts of quacks and loony professionals have made their quick buck and then vanished Yet how many cults have the myriads of actors joined; how many diets have had their time; and how many people are fooled yet again and again, always working towards the short term, and encouraged so long as they spend.

Don't do it, it really is not worth it. Malnutrition can cause problems, if you get through this ridiculous diet, then it might get you on the rebound when you take your first bite of readily accessible processed food. There is a reason why the UN do not give malnourished kids Hershey bars.

A gallon of water is approx 4.5 litres, a healthy adult male is recommended to drink between 1.5-3(and even that is too much) litres.

Water intoxication - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BBC NEWS: Woman died from 'too much water'

[Lioness]

I went on a 30-day water-only fast as a teenager. I felt sick, weak, light-headed, and obsessed with food, dreaming of the day I could eat again.
I lost about 15 pounds, but gained it back immediately, and then some. Unfortunately, your appetite rebounds to its normal level when you start to eat again, and if you're a binge-eater, fasting only exacerbates this. I'm still recovering from the binge-starve yo-yo merry-go-round.

When you fast, your body goes into starvation-mode and holds on to fat stores, slows down your metabolism, and uses your muscle protein for energy. The less muscle mass you have, the less calories your body burns on a daily basis, long after the fast is over. So you wind up with a higher pertentage of bodyfat than when you started, a slower metabolism, and you are set-up for regaining even more weight both physiologically and psychologically.

IMO, you have to make a lifestyle change, there is no quick-fix. Someone here previously recommended a website that really helps; normaleating.com.